1. NASA Images & MAPS
We will examine a set of images and maps produced by NASA (vegetation images, land cover and population maps) and we will look for connections among them.
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
AFRICA
ASIA
Latitudes near the North Pole
NORTH AMERICA
vegetation
base map
land cover
population

2. The following activities will use this world base map
Equator
Tropic of Cancer
AFRICA
ASIA
Latitudes near the North Pole
NORTH AMERICA
The following activities will use this world base map
along with satellite images and maps from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

3. world base map Latitudes near the North Pole Tropic of Cancer Equator
Tropic of Capricorn

4. NASA uses satellites to monitor vegetation throughout the world.
Our lives depend upon plants and trees.
They feed us and give us clothes.
They absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen we need to breathe.
Plants provide many of our medicines and building materials.
So when the plants and trees around us change, these changes can affect our health, environment, and economy.

5. Animation of changing vegetation “greenness” --http://earthobservatory
Credit: Images created by Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observations, using data provided by the MODIS Land Team and the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center.
NASA satellites record the "greenness" of all Earth's lands. Vegetation index images show how much green leaf vegetation was growing during each month across the world.
Dark green areas show where there was a lot of green leaf growth
Light greens show where there was some green leaf growth
Tan areas show little or no growth.
Black means "no data.“

6. Which parts of the world have more green vegetation in December?
This image is from Jan. 2012, and during this month there is no sunlight near the North Pole.
December 2012 NASA satellites capture information about vegetation during each month.
This image shows “green leaf growth” during December 2012.
Which parts of the world
have more green vegetation in December?

7. December 2012 Use the world base map along with this image.
a. What part of Africa had the most green leaf growth (darkest green) in December?
(near the Equator or near the Tropic of Cancer)
near the Equator
b. What part of Africa shows little or no leaf growth (tan areas) in December?
(near the Equator or near the Tropic of Cancer)
near the Tropic of Cancer
What parts of North America and Asia show little leaf growth (tan areas) in December?
(near the Tropic of Cancer or in latitudes near the North Pole)
in latitudes near the North Pole
d. What parts of the world are coldest in December?
(near the equator or in latitudes near the North Pole)
in latitudes near the North Pole

8. How is this July 2012 image different from the December 2012 image?
Because NASA satellites capture information about “green leaf growth”
during each month of the year, we can study how vegetation changes through time.
How is this July image
different from the December 2012 image?

9. How is this July 2012 image different…
… from the December 2012 image?
Write 2 comparison sentences
December 2012

10. July 2012
e. In July, areas near the North Pole in North America and in Asia (show more green in July or remain tan in July)
Show more green in July
f. What part of Africa still has little or no growth (tan areas) in July?
(near the Equator or near the Tropic of Cancer)
near the Tropic of Cancer
g. What part of Asia still had little or no growth (tan areas) in July? (near the middle of the land mass or near the edge of the land mass)
near the middle of the land mass

11. NASA used information from several different satellites
to create this “land cover” map.
We will compare this “land cover” map to the July vegetation map.
Source:

12. NASA scientists organize land cover into 17 different categories.
Some examples of different types of land cover are cities, farmlands, forests, and deserts.
Using satellite observations, scientists mapped where each of the 17 land surface categories can be found on the Earth. Scientists monitor how these land cover types change over time.
Source:

13. from several satellites to create this map about types of land cover 1 1 3 2 5 2 5 4 4
NASA used information
from several satellites
to create this map
about types of land cover
in different regions of the world.
LEGEND for land cover:
1--Light Orange: small shrubs (no trees)
2--Gray: barren, sparsely vegetated desert
3--Orange-Brown: grasslands (no trees)
4--Bright Green: evergreen broadleaf forest
5--Light yellow: croplands

14. 1 1 3 2 5 2 5 4 4
h. What vegetation covers central Africa near the equator throughout the year (in December and July)?
2-barren desert or
4-evergreen broadleaf forest
i. Which vegetation covers the most northern latitudes (near North Pole) of Asia?
5-agricultural cropland or
1-small shrubs that have leaves in July
LEGEND for land cover:
1--Light Orange: small shrubs (no trees)
2--Gray: barren, sparsely vegetated desert
3--Orange-Brown: grasslands (no trees)
4--Bright Green: evergreen broadleaf forest
5--Light yellow: croplands
4-evergreen broadleaf forest
1-small shrubs that have leaves in July

15. Tundra (shrubs) (near North Pole)
Pictures of Biomes:
Conifer forest (higher, colder latitudes)
Grassland (lower rainfall)
Desert (higher, colder latitudes)
Rainforest (near Equator)
Temperate forest (middle latitudes)

16. 1 1 3 5 2 5 4 4
NASA’s land cover map had the following land covers at these locations:
This vegetation image shows “green leaf growth” during July 2012 and we will connect it with the map about “land cover.”
1– shrub lands (without trees) – Why are these northern shrub lands greener in July than December?
2-- barren, sparsely vegetated – Use an atlas to find the name of the desert in this region of Africa.
3-- grasslands (without trees) – Notice the small area of light green showing in the grasslands!
4– evergreen broadleaf forest – The region near this latitude line ____________ has evergreen forest all months of the year!
5– croplands – The green in this region shows crops that farmers are growing in July.

17. Turn to the population map in the next slide1 1 3 2 5 2 5 4 4
This vegetation image shows “green leaf growth” during July 2012.
Land Cover Categories
1-- shrublands (without trees)
2-- barren, sparsely vegetated
3-- grasslands (without trees)
4– evergreen broadleaf forest
5– croplands
Which number (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) do you think
will have the most people?
Turn to the population map in the next slide
to see the answer.

18. 1 3 5 2 5 4 4
Land Cover Categories
1-- shrublands (without trees)
2-- barren, sparsely vegetated
3-- grasslands (without trees)
4– evergreen broadleaf forest
5– croplands
NASA provides a Population Map that shows how many people live in different areas on Earth.
Lighter areas have fewer people. Darker areas have more people per square kilometer.
The small red dots scattered across most countries show cities, where many people live in a small area.

19. k. Why does place 1 have few people? 3 5 2 5 4 4
Land Cover Categories
1-- shrublands (without trees)
2-- barren, sparsely vegetated
3-- grasslands (without trees)
4– evergreen broadleaf forest
5– croplands
k. Why does place 1 have few people?
l. Why does place 2 have few people?
m. Why does place 5 have many people? What is its land cover category?

20. Latitudes near the North Pole1
ASIA
NORTH AMERICA 5 5
Tropic of Cancer 2
AFRICA 4
Equator 4
Use this world base map to review satellite images and maps from NASA.
1– Is there much green leafy vegetation or many people at the place 1 location?
2– Is there much green leafy vegetation or many people at the place 2 locations
4– Is there much green leafy vegetation at the place 4 locations in both January and July?
5– Is there much green leafy vegetation or many people at the place 5 locations?
6– Which number shows croplands with large numbers of people? ____
7– Which number shows a desert with few people? ____
8– Complete name of the latitude line that passes through northern Africa : Tropic of _____________
9– Complete the name of the latitude line that passes through central Africa: E________

21. NASA’s Earth Observations website lets us compare maps about vegetation (in different seasons), land cover (e.g., deserts , grasslands , cropland, forests), and population density.

22. You may select maps about vegetation for different months
You may select maps about vegetation for different months. How does vegetation change between winter and summer? We can look at maps for January and July.
In addition,
This URL has an animation of vegetation (greenness index) changing through months. “The most obvious pattern that the maps show is a global one: vegetation greenness is high around the equator all year long, where temperatures, rainfall and sunlight are abundant. Between the equator and the poles, the vegetation greenness rises and falls as the seasons change.”

23. NASA also provides a map that show types of land cover (e. g
NASA also provides a map that show types of land cover (e.g., deserts, forests, grasslands, cropland).
provides photos and helpful descriptions of biomes (e.g., rainforest, desert, grassland, temperate forest) and recommends Also Google “Confluence.”

24. NASA also provides a map that shows population density.
For more detailed country maps about population density maps
and for other maps for Asia, see
Metric converter from NASA: